U.S. military officials are now looking at envisioning a “post occupation” troop presence in Iraq which does not necessarily maintain the current level but does not lead to a complete pullout either. It aims for a smaller force that would serve and remain in the country for a long term.
This objective, derived from recent interviews with military officers here, still remains in a premature stage. It is based on the assessment of the officials according to which there is going to be a sharp fall in the troop strength from the middle of next year. It is not the question whether the U.S. presence will be cut, but the questions as to how quickly, to what level and to what purpose that the officials here are grappling with.
That the United States should leave Iraq more intelligently than it entered is one of the guiding principles according to two officials here. Some officials argue that a reduction of troops would manifest to the anti-American factions that the occupation will not last forever while assuring Iraqi allies that the United States does not wish to abandon the country either.
The planning is designed partly by cognising the logistical realities in Iraq. Some military officials said that the immediate all-or-nothing dispute in Washington over troop levels is fictive. Even if the goal is total pullout, it could take a year to execute the operation.
U.S. officials also observe that underneath the anti-American rhetoric, Shiite radicals such as cleric Moqtada al-Sadr do not want to see a total U.S. pullout either, especially while they feel threatened by Sunni insurgents. Moreover, officials feel that any government in Iraq will prefer to keep a small U.S. combat force to discourage foreign intervention.
Such a long-term presence would have four major elements. The primary one would be a reinforced mechanized infantry division of around 20,000 soldiers designated to ensure the security of the Iraqi government and aid Iraqi forces or their U.S. advisors if they get into fights they cannot deal with.
Secondly, a training and advisory force of around 10,000 troops would work with Iraqi military and police units.
Odierno said:
I think it would be very helpful to have a force here for a period of time to continue to help the Iraqis train and continue to build their capabilities.
Officials also envision a small but significant Special Operations unit focused on fighting the Sunni insurgent group al-Qaida in Iraq.
The ambitious plans of the U.S. military officials here anticipate a slow and peaceful retreat from Iraq. One can only hope that things attain normalcy in the country that has suffered a lot in the recent past.
Image Credit: foxnews.com
